Governor Newsom Streamlines Major Water Storage Project

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Office of Governor Newsom
https://www.gov.ca.gov/2023/11/06/governor-newsom-streamlines-major-water-storage-project/

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Governor Newsom utilized the new infrastructure streamlining law to accelerate Sites Reservoir project and avoid months or even years of CEQA litigation delays, which could store enough water for 3 million households’ yearly usage.

HOW IT WORKS:

SB 149 allows the Governor to certify qualifying infrastructure projects for judicial streamlining under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

Courts must decide CEQA challenges to certified projects within 270 days to the extent feasible – saving months or even years of litigation delays after a project has already passed environmental review, while still allowing legal challenges to be heard.

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT:

Just last week, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and Sites Project Authority finalized the Environmental Impact Review and Environmental Impact Statement for the project.

The project will help California maintain a resilient water supply in the face of climate change, weather extremes, and water scarcity.

Sites Reservoir is critical to California’s ​​Water Supply Strategy and meeting our goal of expanding above and below ground water storage capacity by 4 million acre feet.

Our Guv, doing whatever it takes for California.